Essential elementary school physical education facilities as determined by a national survey and a comparison to the existing facilities in Oregon PublicDeposited

Descriptions

Purpose
This study compared existing Oregon elementary school physical
education facilities and equipment with those facilities and equipment
items perceived to be essential for a quality physical education program
by nationally selected physical education specialists.
Procedures
A survey form was mailed to 110 national educators proposed by
state directors of physical education as specialists in elementary
school physical education facilities and equipment. Responses were
received from 89 (81 percent) of these specialists.
The survey form contained 137 items divided into six categories
of the instructional complex: (1) community school area, (2) outdoor
equipment and surfacing material, (3) outdoor all-weather courts and
surface areas, (4) outdoor field areas, (5) dressing-shower-locker
areas, and (6) indoor instruction area, courts and equipment.
The Oregon survey form contained the items checked as essential
by 50 percent or more of the national jury. The Oregon survey
form was mailed to 348 elementary school principals in Oregon
requesting indication whether the items were now provided in their
schools. From the 348 schools, 329 principals (94.5 percent) returned
the completed survey form.
Summary and Conclusions
The national jury selected 41 of the 137 items included in the
survey as being essential for a quality elementary school physical
education program.
On the basis of the six areas used from the national survey, the
following data was obtained:
(1) In the Community School Area, 24 percent of the Oregon
elementary schools provide accessible toilet facilities.
(2) In the Outdoor Equipment Area, 75 percent or more of the
Oregon elementary schools provide climbing apparatus
(94%), horizontal ladders (80%), and horizontal bars (75%).
Less than 50 percent of the Oregon elementary schools
included the remaining five items in the area: balance
beams (13%), creative apparatus (33%), separate primary area (42%), and interlocking rubber padding (4%).
(3) In the Outdoor All-weather Courts Area, 85 percent or
more of the Oregon elementary schools provide low organization
game areas (89%), tetherball areas (95%), and
asphalt (blacktop) surface for courts (87%). Less than 50
percent of the Oregon elementary schools provide volleyball
courts (42%).
(4) In the Outdoor Field Area, 68 percent of the Oregon elementary
schools provide one football- soccer field space 160' x
3601, and 91 percent provide permanent softball backstops.
(5) In the Dressing-Shower-Locker Areas, 50 percent or more
of the Oregon elementary schools provide a separate dressing
room for both boys and girls (62%), lockers (51%), toilet
facilities in the dressing room (66%), and separate shower
rooms for both boys and girls (50%). Less than 50 percent
of the Oregon elementary schools are providing instructor's
office in the dressing area (39%), toilet facilities in instructor's
office (21%), shower head at child's height (36%), and
separate instructor's shower (6%).
(6) In the Indoor Instructional Areas, 54 percent or more of
the Oregon elementary schools provide separate gymnasium
areas (78%), padded walls behind basketball backboards
(54%), gymnasium ceiling height 22' (74%), basketball
courts (88%), volleyball courts (91%), game circles and
lines (75%), tumbling area (65%), balance beams (66%),
basketball backboards (89%), climbing ropes (84%), horizontal
bars (64%), tumbling mats (92%), and net standards
(70%). Less than 50 percent of the Oregon elementary
schools provide gymnasium dividers (4%), accoustical treatment
in gymnasium (49%), gymnasium size 70' x 100' (32%),
adjustable basketball backboards (10%), horizontal ladders
(37%), and vaulting box (24%).
Of the 41 facility and equipment items specified as essential for
a quality physical education program in elementary schools by the
national jury, the publication, Standards for Elementary Schools in
Oregon, lists only 22 of the 41 items. Since the 1959 Oregon standards
do not fit the present physical education curricular structure,
there is a need to create up-to-date facility and equipment standards
for improved physical education programs in elementary schools.